The History of Jainism & Buddhism
Buddhism and Jainism originated on the Indian subcontinent. Buddhism has spread to many countries around the world, while Jainism remains small, with under five million believers. Both denominations emphasize letting go of attachment as the path to enlightenment.
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Jainist Origins
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Jainists believe their path was introduced to the world repeatedly during previous cosmic eras. In our era, it was introduced by the sixth century teacher Mahavira. The name Jainist derives from a Sanskrit word meaning conqueror. Jainists strive to conquer by renouncing desire and practicing concern for all life.
Jainist Creed
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Jainists consider it each individual's responsibility to practice detachment from all that is material and avoid incurring any karma in the physical world. The Jainist doctrine of never harming a living creature extends to microbes; Jains sometimes carry small brooms to clear the path before them of tiny life forms.
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Buddhist Origins
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Siddhartha Gautama was born a prince in the fifth century BCE, in what is now Nepal. Rejecting wealth, he chose to become an ascetic seeker. Buddhists believe Siddhartha realized that separate existence was an illusion and that misdirected thoughts prevented spiritual enlightenment. Realizing this, he became "the Buddha," or Awakened One.
Buddhist Creed
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Buddhists strive to guide their actions by Siddhartha's Four Noble Truths. These were: 1) suffering is characteristic of human existence; 2) suffering is caused by longing for pleasure and avoidance of pain; 3) it is not necessary to suffer; and 4) there is a path to end suffering.
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References
- Photo Credit Buddha image by Vipal from Fotolia.com
